Q & A with Author Fran Clark

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Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I'm a singer-songwriter and a vocal coach. I've been performing professionally for well over ten years now. I realeased my second album in September 2013 and that was the first time I'd done a launch party. It was great fun but I was so nervous. I'm married to a musician and we have two sons, one a budding musician the other a budding swimmer.

What draws you to your genre?

I write in the genre of Women's Fiction which encompasses quite a range of styles and storylines. I believe Women's Fiction to be a story with a strong female protagonist, not on a mission to find love but on a journey to make life changing decisions. Although romance will feature it is really my character and plot that carries the story. Choosing subjects that will have an appeal to women readers is what drives me most, and I love to write about relationships.

How do you think you've evolved creatively?

Well writing is something relatively new for me. I am a singer-songwriter and my songs all tell a story but now I'm telling stories that are over 300 pages long! I think I'm more imaginative now, more ready to expand ideas and concepts. What I hope most of all is that my writing is improving as I go.

Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.

The cover for Holding Paradise came from my original idea but it is the publisher's interpretation of that idea that you see on the front. It wasn't hard to agree. I loved the colors they suggested and it sets the mood for the book but there are so many aspects of the story that might surprise the reader if they have judged the entire story by the cover!

What do you think of “trailers” for books?

I never even knew book trailers existed until after I got my publishing deal. I toyed with the idea of having one and then changed my mind. Almost a year later and very close to publication I thought I'd give it a go. I didn't make the type of trailer that most other writers do, I took a chance with something different and I hope people will like it.

Fran Clark was born and currently lives in West London. Her first novel, Holding Paradise, is published in 2014 by Indigo Dreams Publishing. Fran is studying for a Creative Writing MA at Brunel University. A professional-singer songwriter and vocal coach, she recently released her second album of original songs. She is now working towards the completion of her second novel. 

On a grey and miserable morning in 2008, London businesswoman, Angelica Ford boards a plane and flies off to the blues and greens of her mother’s island in the Caribbean. Angelica is desperate. She is looking for a way to save her marriage and win back her daughter. A web of lies has torn a hole into her seemingly perfect world and she is convinced that only her mother, Josephine Dennis, can help her turn her life around.Josephine Dennis arrived in England by ship on a cold winter’s morning as a young mother joining her husband. She weathers a lifetime of secrets and betrayal, as she raises her family in 1960s London. A matriarch with strong family values, she told her children colorful stories to guide them through life. It is the wisdom of one of these stories that Angelica seeks. Josephine has one last story to tell – the story that could change both of their lives

How to Create Characters You Love by Aven Ellis

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I love creating characters. For me, the best part of sitting down and drafting a new story is creating the characters I’m going to write about. When I first start thinking of a character, usually I think of his or her conflict and obstacles first. For Harrison Flynn, the hockey player hero in my new release Waiting For Prince Harry, I had his conflict first. What would it be like to be a famous professional athlete, but not have a formal education? Especially when your own parents are professors who value education above everything else? Even though he was financially secure, would he fear his future once hockey ended? I knew I wanted to explore that idea first.  But I didn’t quite know the rest of him yet so I went on to work on Kylie Reed, the heroine of the story.

For Kylie, I thought it would be interesting to have her explore her own fear of the future, which is really her internal fear of failure. Where Harrison is hot-tempered and lives in unorganized chaos, Kylie contains her emotions and is rigid in her organization.  To me, these two opposites come together and bring out the best in each other.

With conflict down, I began to fully sketch Kylie. I go into major detail here-what do they like to eat, what do they like to do for fun, favorite TV show, favorite drink, etc. I need to know these people like I know my own friends. While I was sketching Kylie, I decided to have her be obsessed with taking pop quizzes on her phone or in magazines. There’s always one in my Facebook feed, so I thought that would be a fun character trait. Then I thought about her age and who I would have a crush on--and that would be Prince Harry. He’s fun, athletic, spirited, and a gorgeous ginger. 

I took her crush a step further and thought what if she could find her own version of Prince Harry, but one who would inspire her, bring some chaos to her life, and make her want to live in the now? Then  I started thinking about the name for my hockey player and thought Harrison. Harry.  Kylie was waiting for her Prince Harry...and just happens to find him in the form of a professional hockey player...

Aven Ellis has been writing fiction since she was sixteen. She studied communications at a large Midwestern university, and after graduation, Aven worked as a reporter for a community newspaper, followed by a stint at a public relations agency. 

But writing about city council meetings and restaurant franchises was not as much fun as writing for young women trying to figure out their careers and potential boyfriends. So Aven got herself a job in television that allowed her to write at night. Connectivity is Aven's debut novel; Waiting for Prince Harry and Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista (New Adult romantic comedy) will be published next year.

Aven lives in Dallas with her family. When she is not writing, Aven enjoys shopping, cooking, connecting with friends on social media, and watching any show that features Gordon Ramsay.

Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer...Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer. 

The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry—Kylie’s ideal man. A hot, fun ginger boy would be worth breaking all the rules for, of course. And Kylie is sure Harry just needs the right, centering woman to settle him down. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

Or does it?

Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger boy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to take a chance, to face her fears, and live in the present? And could this stranger be the Prince Harry she has been waiting for? Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this chance encounter, and she knows her life will never be the same because of it...

Does Your Personality Align With Birth Order? by Roxanne Snopek

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I’m a first-born. According to birth order studies, I should be:

• Reliable and conscientious
• Structured
• Cautious
• Controlling
• Achievement-oriented

This amuses me because unless there’s a definition for reliable and conscientious that includes usually late, this is not me. However, if cautious also means paralyzed by anxiety and achievement-oriented stretches to a border-collie-like tendency to keep going when it might be smarter to spend a weekend watching Friends reruns, then I’m in. 

Middle children, they say, tend to be:
• People-pleasers
• Somewhat rebellious
• Peacemakers
• Socially gregarious

In my latest release, RESISTING THE RANCHER we get to know the Gamble family of Lutherton, Montana, who are adjusting to the tragic loss of their middle son. Without Cale’s peacemaking presence, oldest son Zach and youngest daughter Celia have to create a new family dynamic before they can move forward with their lives.

Youngest kids, like Celia Gamble, are usually:
• Fun-loving
• Uncomplicated
• Manipulative
• Outgoing
• Attention-seeking
• Self-centered

In HIS RELUCTANT RANCHER, we get a glimpse of Celia’s self-centeredness. But in RESISTING THE RANCHER, we finally see her fun-loving and outgoing side. She’s also a tomboy who can handle 1000-lb steers without batting an eye and who will rescue every stray dog and cat that comes her way, but is terrified of her feelings for her big brother’s best friend. 

Of course, I didn’t create Celia Gamble with birth order traits in mind; she’s certainly not uncomplicated, for instance. But then, I think we’re all complicated. That’s what makes people so interesting! What aspects of your personality align with your birth order? What about your siblings?

Roxanne Snopek has been writing professionally for more than two decades and her work has appeared in publications varying from The Vancouver Sun and Reader’s Digest to newsletters for Duke, Cornell and Tufts Universities. She’s done corporate copywriting on topics ranging from pet food for Iams/Eukanuba, to employee profiles for VersaCold to air-conditioner maintenance for Home Depot. (That’s right. Air conditioner maintenance.)

But she’s also had a bunch of other stuff published, including one mystery novel, a couple of literary short stories and a non-fiction series. One summer, she wrote video game dialogue and narrative for Silicon Sisters Interactive, a project that combined her two favourite genres – mystery and romance – with the world of casual gaming.

In 2012 she sold her first romance novel to Entangled Publishing. THREE RIVER RANCH made the Barnes & Noble Top Ten list, The Amazon Top 100 list and is now the foundation of a multi-book series. Recently, the first three books sold to France.

Country veterinarian Celia Gamble is in trouble. A misunderstanding from her past is rearing its ugly head and the only person she can turn to is Jonah Clarke—her family’s lawyer and, as it turns out, her brother Zach’s best friend and her childhood crush. She always wanted Jonah to see her as a bona fide woman, but as a woman who’s being wrongfully blackmailed for seducing a married man? Not on her life.

Jonah is happy to help little CeeCee Gamble, if only she’d come clean about why she’s being blackmailed. But with Zach’s wedding on the horizon and Zach’s fashionista fiancée Desiree giving CeeCee a makeover, the little duckling Jonah remembers is turning into a definite swan. And the unwritten law on sisters is clear—hands off. Jonah must resist Celia or lose the only true family he’s ever known.

Q & A with Author Carrie Grant

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Give us an insight into your main character. Why is he/she special?

I always write for soft, but strong, female leads. Emily, the main character of Trapped, exemplifies both of these characteristics. She's only just under sixteen years old, but she's even more mature than her mother. She has had to raise her younger twin sisters practically from birth, and when the tunnel caves in around them, her sisters are her first priority. Every decision she makes is to keep them safe--she has to be very careful and wait out the drama of the tunnel until the rescue team arrives.

At the same time, Emily is very much a teenage girl. A slightly older boy, Chris, survives the cave-in as well, and much to Emily's consternation...he's a flirt! Emily, a responsible pseudo-mother and long-time math nerd, doesn't know what to do with him. But she's just reckless enough to give him a shot. Putting her caution aside, Emily is able to trust and rely on Chris as secrets unfold about what brought the tunnel down in the first place. In the end, it's this ability to be reckless--not to be cautious or responsible--that ensures their survival.
 
Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.

For the cover I hired the very talented artist Alexandra Hemrick. I knew I wanted a close up on Emily, the main character, during the climax of the novel when she's racing to save her sisters. The cover had to convey that they were in the tunnel, as well as the drama and the determination of the main character. I love how it turned out!
 
What do you think of “trailers” for books?

On the one hand, I think they are a little bit superfluous--it's a book for reading, so why do you need a video? On the other hand, I really really want to do one! They're a great way to capture the tone and drama of the novel, and to capture a reader's eye. I'm still debating about whether I'll do one for Trapped!
 
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad?

Every single one--so all you readers out there, remember it's important to submit reviews! Reviewers are great at highlighting the major A+ characteristics of your novel. I always get good feedback for my plot, dialogue, and how well readers can relate to the emotional experience of my characters. They also point out the rough spots, like when a character doesn't ring quite true. This is very important feedback that you can learn from for your next novel. 

Imagine your main character dies on page one, everything else remains the same, describe the new plot to your book.

Haha just this question made me sad! If Emily had died in the cave-in and everyone else survived, I think the book would still turn out the same way. Chris, the lead boy, would step in and look after her younger sisters while they're trapped--he's just that kind of guy. The bad antagonists would still have their plots, but they would never be discovered. The characters who survived the cave-in would still get out alive--but neither love nor justice would be served.

Book Information

Driving home from a high school math competition, the last thing Emily expected was to get trapped in a caved-in tunnel. Yet when the dust settles, she soon finds there’s even more going on than a math nerd could have calculated. Only a few other cars survived the cave-in, leaving her trapped with a team of plumbers, a cranky old man, a Governor, and a family of five. An older boy named Chris also managed to survive the cave-in...but his bright blue eyes seem to be watching everyone just a little too closely. 

As the hours tick by and the water runs out, the survivors struggle to wait for the rescue team. But Emily had seen something just before the tunnel collapsed, something that makes her realize that this cave-in was no accident. She is trapped with the killer of hundreds of innocent people–with nearly a mile of solid rock blocking every exit. 

Got Superstitions? by Jennifer Shirk

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Got Superstitions?
 
Hey, all! Jennifer here!

In case you don't know, I have a new romance out called Fiancé by Fate, which deals with my heroine being extremely superstitious-- to the point which it controls a lot of what she does in the book.

Some people might scoff at that as being unrealistic.

Maybe. (For me) But for some, it might feel very real.

According to LiveScience.com many superstitions stem from the same human trait that causes us to believe in monsters and ghosts: "When our brains can't explain something, we make stuff up. In fact, a 2010 study found that superstitions can sometimes work, because believing in something can improve performance on a task."

I see that in people! Have you ever watched a Major League Baseball game? Batters have certain rituals they do every time they're up to bat for luck. (Remember Nomar? If not, check out his batting ritual HERE) And how about last year when the Red Sox all decided to grow beards and not shave?

Interesting, isn't it?

Here are a few of the MOST common superstitions:
1- beginner's luck
2-walking under a ladder brings bad luck
3-having a black cat cross your path brings bad luck
4-bad luck comes in threes
5—don't break that mirror or bad luck for seven years
6—666 ßbad number
7—knock on wood
8—rabbit's foot brings luck
9—cross your fingers for luck
10—Friday the 13th something bad will happen

I like to think of these as human quirks. My heroine Sabrina definitely has her share of them! Will she finally abandon them and listen to her heart?

I hope you check out Fiancé by Fate to find out!  ONLY 99 CENTS until April 28th!

**And if you're in the mood for more fun romance, my novella A Little Bit Cupid is FREE on Amazon until then too!**
 
So do you have any superstitions of your own?

Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy-which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet romances (some even funny!) and won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, The Role of a Lifetime. Recently, her novel Sunny Days for Sam won the 2013 Golden Quill Published Authors Contest for Best Traditional Romance.

Sabrina Cassidy believes in fate. So when her fiancé breaks off their engagement, she’s convinced they’ll get back together eventually. But fate was not on her side when it brought Jack Brenner into her life—and work. Frustrating, gorgeous, and cocky, Jack has an offer that Sabrina can't refuse. Not if it means getting the life she’s always imagined.

Despite being one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, Jack has a reputation that’s working against him. He has to convince his father—and his company’s board—that he’s ready to settle down if he wants a promotion. But convincing Sabrina to be his fake girlfriend turns out to be the easiest part. What he didn’t count on was their intense attraction and how easily their lie would escalate. Sabrina’s still hung up on her ex, and Jack will never settle down. But fate has other ideas…

5 Ways to Tell if You Should Be Reading Historical Romance by Sarah Ballance

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When the first book in my Sins of Salem series was contracted, I could count on one hand the number of historical romances I’d read. Ever. (Yeah, that whole contract thing? Craziness!) I hadn’t yet fallen in love with the genre, but now I’m fully convinced it’s one in which every reader should indulge. Are you missing out? 

Here are some signs:

1.      You’ve always wanted to visit Regency England, the Scottish Highlands, Viking waters, or colonial America, but you’re not exactly on board with time travel. Also, there’s no way you’re giving up hot showers to get there.

2.      You love rediscovering forgotten language. Where else are you going to find words like ratsbane, maggot-pie, jackanapes, or beslubbering pumpion? If you can toss out one of those insults during your next argument, you’ll win it hands down. (Assuming , that is, you can keep a straight face.)

3.      You need a break. Let’s face it…life is stressful. Dig into a contemporary and you’re reading about someone else’s contemporary problems. Open a historical romance and some of those problems almost seem romantic. A sexy, stubborn duke who needs the right woman to soften that hard heart? Yes, please.

4.      You dig cultural immersion. Some people go to museums for this stuff, but you live and breathe it alongside the characters, and you walk away a much richer person…as long as people don’t start thinking you’re nuts for talking like you’ve been there. But that’s okay, because you have.

5.      You love learning stuff that pretty much no one else knows . Seriously, did anyone out there think for a moment that Puritans were sex-crazed fiends who would divorce one another if the action wasn’t happening in the bedroom? It’s true. Mind. Blown.

Ready to lose yourself in a historical romance? AN UNEXPECTED SIN will whisk you away to the Salem witch trials, which is probably the last place you’d expect to find a story of young love. Of course, against the backdrop of hysteria and accusations, theirs is anything but a typical affair…

Sarah Ballance is a multi-published author of contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense. She's been married to her own romantic hero for what he calls a "long, long time" (and no, he'll never hear the end of saying that). Together they have six children ... and clearly too much time on their hands. She currently writes for Entangled and has upcoming releases from both Entangled and Samhain Publishing.

Salem, Colonial

The moment the stranger’s dark eyes meet hers, Anne Scudder’s world is immediately overthrown by chaos. That single flare of desire is immediate, driving away all notions of propriety. Instead, Anne is consumed with sinful thoughts—ones that no unmarried girl should ever have for a man who isn’t her husband…

But Josiah Cromwell is no stranger.

It’s been six years since Josiah stole kisses from Anne, his best friend’s younger sister. Six years since Josiah left after his best friend’s death, burdened by the knowledge that he was responsible for destroying Anne’s family. Now he’s returned to claim the woman he can’t live without. But even as their desire threatens to consume them both—body and soul—the dark workings of suspicion and witchcraft are afoot.

Because in Salem, too much passion can lead a woman to ruin… and condemned to death.